


Crêpes and Morning Breath

by Vorrir



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/F, Study Date, canon can rip bunny-slipper-dad from my cold dead fingers, headcanon parents, sappy kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-06-15
Packaged: 2018-11-14 06:13:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11202126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vorrir/pseuds/Vorrir
Summary: Rose wakes Juleka up for some studying. Very little studying is done.





	Crêpes and Morning Breath

Rose skipped up to her girlfriend’s house, meeting the morning with a smile. She’d heard in the past that she smiled too much, that it somehow wasn’t natural, but that made absolutely no sense to her. What wasn’t there to smile at? The flowers were blooming, the birds were singing beautifully, the morning’s sunrise could only be rivaled by last night’s gorgeous sunset, and to top it all off, she was meeting up with her best friend in the whole world.

Bounding up to the front door, she marvelled once again at the masterful carving on its face, depicting a dove and a raven trailing one long string of flowers between them. Each blossom was a set of faceted windows looking into the house proper, welcoming in the light. Reaching up to knock on the door, she started humming the first tune that came to mind, rocking on her heels to the beat.

As the door opened, Rose said, “Ah, good morning, Mrs. Couffaine! Is Juleka in? We made plans to study.” For emphasis, she twisted around to show off her bookbag.

Still groggy, Mrs. Couffaine yawned, saying, “Good morning, Rose. She’s upstairs, go on up.”

“Thanks!” Rose said, moving towards the stairs.

Most who enter the Couffaine household looking for Juleka would question if they truly found the right home. With its colorful wallpapers, plush carpeting, and walls overflowing with pictures and mementos, few would believe that the quiet, awkward, horror-loving Juleka truly came from here. Her parents were especially jarring, each in danger of adopting a stray animal every hour of the day. Her mother was comfortable in a simple yellow dress, a shawl thrown over her shoulders to fend off the morning cold. It was early enough that her hair still held remnants of her bedhead, her glasses slightly skewed below. Regardless, she still met the day with a smile, watching Rose move forward into the living room. There, waiting on his recliner, was Mr. Couffaine. He was wearing his standard morning attire, a puffy robe over soft pajama pants, all capped by a pair of neon pink bunny slippers.

When questioned, he would always answer, “They are soft, and they squeak.” He would then meet the asker with a patented stern look, as if that would cease any and all questions. It usually did.

The first time Rose came here in the morning, she hadn’t been surprised at all. For what other home could nurture such a sweet, caring, compassionate, and loving girl as Juleka Couffaine?

Without looking up from his morning paper, Mr. Couffaine said, “Good morning, Rose. I see you’re as chipper as usual.”

Cocking her head, Rose asked, “Chipper, sir?”

Flipping the page, he answered, “It’s what boring people say to fun people to try and make them feel bad about being fun.” At that, he met Rose’s eyes, giving her a wink and a smile.

Crossing her arms, Rose said, “You are far from boring, Mr. Couffaine.”

“Hush you,” he said, putting a finger to his lips, “You’ll blow my cover. Covert blandness aside, didn’t I hear you were studying with my dear girl? She’s upstairs, you should probably go and wake her up.”

Giving a mock salute, Rose said, “Yes sir, right away, sir,” before marching over to the stairs. As she started her ascent, she called out, “Juleka, wake up! The sun says hello!”

Mr. Couffaine squeaked over to his wife, slinging an arm across her shoulder as they watched Rose move upstairs. After she closed the upper door, he said, “They know we know they’re dating, right? Like, it’s so obvious.”

Smacking her husband’s hand, Mrs. Couffaine said, “Oh, let them have their fun. We’ll be here whenever they’re ready to tell us. Now, I remember someone promising me pancakes.”

**0o0o0**

The first time Rose entered Juleka’s room, she had been disoriented by how completely dark it was. With black paint, few lamps, and blackout curtains along every window, the standing brightness of the room was set to a deep-sea trench. Such a dimness was useful when trying to sleep in while simultaneously having a full length window along the back wall. It made for a fantastic reading nook, when it wasn’t stacked with blankets, curtains, and every other piece of fabric Juleka could spare to keep the sun out.

After a while, Rose got into a habit of simply standing still for a moment, letting her eyes adjust to the abrupt lighting change. As they did, she admired again that, while it wasn’t the cleanest room she’d ever seen, Juleka was nothing if not organized. Every shelf was alphabetised, her shoes were in a neat row, and there was actually very little clutter on the floor.

Rose sighed, remembering a time when they’d first gotten together. One of the first times she’d come to Juleka’s house, she’d been left in her room unattended for a time. She honestly didn’t even remember what Juleka had been doing, since she hadn’t minded in the slightest. Seeing the unruly state of her girlfriend’s room, she’d decided it would be a kind gesture to clean it up a bit. Juleka, on the other hand, saw it as a judgement, and felt guilty about making her first girlfriend feel like she needed to clean up her messes. That had been their first fight. Thankfully, they’d reached an agreement. Rose wouldn’t clean without Juleka’s aid or consent, and in return, Juleka would try her best to keep her room in a state where Rose wouldn’t feel compelled to clean it.

Juleka had actually brought up her side of it, despite it being more work, citing, “You were right, my room’s a mess. I’ve needed to get on top of this for a while now.”

Regardless, Rose sauntered over to the curtained window, and in one practiced motion, thrust the curtains and blankets to the side, drenching the room in morning light. She was satisfied at the soft hissing she heard from the bundle of blankets that was her girlfriend in bed.

The hissing was replaced by a soft, drawn out, “No…” the bundle shifting to avoid the light.

After months of this rehearsed dance, Rose answered with a drawn out, “Yes…” moving over to the bed.

Once there, she sat on the edge, shrugging off her bookbag. Reaching inside, Rose pulled out a small plastic container. Popping off the lid, she revealed a batch of fresh crepes, filled with strawberries and cream, all carefully crafted before Rose had made her way over here. The smell roused her precious zombie, Juleka sitting up in bed, her blankets falling around her. Eyes still closed, hair in disarray, she blindly grabbed at the container, which Rose was more than happy to give.

After the first bite, Juleka sighed and asked, “How do you make this perfect every single time?”

While Juleka slowly ate her breakfast, Rose noticed the she’d actually added a few staples to her room. There, sitting on a shelf, was the bright pink polaroid camera Rose had given her on her last birthday. Recently though, she’d hung up three strings, and had then used paperclips to display some pictures.

Gesturing to it, Rose asked, “Why’d you choose those pictures?”

Without looking, Juleka answered, “Favorites,” before taking another bite.

Rose’s heart swelled at the fact that a majority of them were simply pictures of her. She then noticed an odd discoloration on Juleka’s walls, and moved over to inspect it. There, along the border of the black paint, was a soft grey addition. It was a lace pattern, similar to Juleka’s gloves, with details fine enough they must have come from the smallest brush. The pattern was short, but the can of paint in the corner showed Rose that it was a standing project.

“When’d you start this?” Rose asked, admiring the detail work.

Juleka shrugged, saying, “Couple weeks ago. Dad mentioned it as a joke, I liked the idea. Thought it’d brighten the place up. Gives me something to do, if nothing else. I was thinking you could help me put in some fairy lights after I was done.”

“That sounds amazing!” Rose yelled, flopping onto the bed.

Rose looked up at her girlfriend, eyes shimmering in the morning light, and Juleka once again thanked whatever fates let their paths cross. Every day with Rose seemed so much brighter than before. Her laughter, energy, hope, and true love, had helped Juleka in ways she could have never dreamt of. In every way, Rose had made Juleka’s life better, and herself a better person. More often than not, she felt at a loss for words around her, unable to capture just how much she meant to her. So, she always settled for the best expression of it all she could think of. She ruffled Rose’s hair, smiling gently down at her. Whatever this conveyed, Rose always hummed in appreciation, closing her eyes and leaning into the rub. It didn’t hurt that this could be done in public without raising suspicion.

Without opening her eyes, Rose took Juleka’s hand and moved it from the top of her head, saying, “Hey, we’re alone. We don’t have to hide.” With that, she gently pecked Juleka’s palm, finally meeting her eyes with her own hopeful gaze.

Juleka blushed at the gentle kiss, but ultimately averted her gaze, saying, “But, my parents-”

“Are behind a locked door,” Rose interrupted. “I made sure as soon as I got in.” At her continued avoidance, she sat up, cupping Juleka’s cheek as she asked, “Hey, what’s wrong?”

Reaching up, Juleka squeezed her girlfriend’s hand, saying, “I just…” Rose knew well enough to leave her room to sort out her thoughts, waiting patiently until she continued, saying, “I’m worried.”

When nothing else was offered, Rose asked, “About what?”

“I’m worried about you,” Juleka said, finally meeting her eyes. The dam broken, she cried out, “If word got out, your family would inevitably find out. Your parents don’t know about this, your dad’s completely against this! You heard him, the one time I was ever over! ‘Rose, when are you ever gonna wake up and find a good man to date?’ How would he react to us? I wouldn’t be able to bear it if us being together caused you pain, and what if…” Tears started welling up as she finished, “And what if you couldn’t either?”

It took Rose a moment to catch her meaning, but as soon she did, she rushed to say, “Oh, sweetie no!” She swept her into a deep hug before continuing, “No no no, I would never do that! You really think a little awkwardness between me and Dad would break us apart? No, I love you!” She pulled back just enough to kiss her forehead before returning to their hug. After a time, she pulled away, staring into Juleka’s eyes as she said, “And if that does happen, and I’m forced to choose between Dad and you? I would choose you in a heartbeat.”

Shaking her head, Juleka said, “I don’t want you to have to make that choice.”

“But I would,” Rose said without hesitation. Repositioning, Rose cupped Juleka’s face, staring into her eyes as she said, “I would choose you. Every day, every time. You can worry about the world, and if you’re not comfortable, I will never push. But please, never doubt that I would choose you.”

Slumping in her girlfriend’s hands, Juleka asked, “What did I ever do to deserve you?”

Rubbing their noses together, Rose answered, “You chose me. And, as luck would have it, I chose you back. That’s all we need.”

Setting aside her finished crepes, Juleka finally pulled Rose into a proper hug.

Neither really knew how long it was until Rose said, “Okay, this is ridiculous. Turn around.”

Confused, Juleka broke the hug, and saw the hairbrush Rose had pulled out of her bag. Reaching up, she was honestly startled at the tangled mess her bedhead was that morning, and conceded the point. Thankful for the help, she turned around, facing the head of her bed. Rose began at the ends of her hair, working out what knots had formed there while holding the upper sections so the brush didn’t hurt. Over time, she worked further up the hair, until finally reaching her scalp. Throughout the process, Juleka had completely relaxed, enjoying a closeness her own fears robbed her of outside.

Twiddling her thumbs, Juleka began actually thinking about why she was so uncomfortable with public affection. Was it really because she was worried about Rose leaving? No, that wasn’t quite it. She’d already known that Rose loved her, and she’d obviously put as much thought into this as she had, if not more. If Rose was comfortable with letting the world know they were together, she’d thought of how the world would react. Yet, in the face of that, she still felt uneasy about sharing this news with others. It wasn’t her parents, they’d known her preferences since they’d first caught her kissing a poster of her favorite singer. If anything, that knowledge had grown them closer as a family, as they had tried to mend any trust they’d feared had broken. Did she care that much what other people thought? Was she somehow ashamed by this beautiful girl brushing her hair with such care? No. She was just scared of things changing. Though, what would honestly change? Some wouldn’t accept them, but that would be the truth no matter who she was with. In fact, the main differences she saw would be that fewer men would approach her, and they could actually go on dates. Proper, couple-like, dates. The pros there seemed to heavily outweigh the cons.

So, as soon as Rose finished and started putting her hairbrush away, Juleka turned around, saying, “Hey, Rose.”

Rose turned, asking, “Yeah?”

In truth, Juleka had just planned to just peck her on her cheek. Instead, Rose turned and plunged them into their first true kiss. Juleka’s eyes shot open, and she almost drew back in surprise, but she seemed to be frozen in place. In hindsight, she’d be surprised how her head hadn’t started running in overtime, but in the moment, she was overwhelmed by how it all simply felt. It was as if her lips had hoarded every sensation they had ever felt, and released it all in one split second. She was acutely aware of how soft Rose’s lips were, how her gloss seemed to glide over her lips. Above all, she was surprised by the taste. Not of her lips, or any gloss on it, but of her breath. It was minty, with a hint of sweetness, and a warmth she hadn’t expected. Adjusting, Juleka tried to feel more, quickly finding herself lost in those sweet lips.

And that was when Rose pulled away. Blinking slowly, Juleka barely registered that her mouth was still open. After closing it, it took even longer for her to process Rose’s words.

“Sweetie, I love you, I am so happy right now, and I would love to pick this back up, but please, in the name of all that is good and just in this world, please go brush your teeth.”

As Juleka numbly moved to her bathroom, she heard Rose whisper, “Man. Crepes and morning breath is a bad combo.”

Rose moved to wait by the bathroom, and as soon as Juleka cleared her doorway, Rose pulled her into a far more intentional kiss. And as good as their first had been, this one was infinitely better. Holding Juleka close, Rose felt her warmth, and the curve of her back as she leaned down into the kiss. Freshly cleaned, her breath tasted of mint, and her own heavy tastes. The moisture around her lips reminded Rose of a kiss in the rain, something she could not wait to share with Juleka.

To Juleka, this new kiss was utter bliss. Rose had hooked her arms around her neck, pulling her down for a much more forceful kiss. Earlier, the shock had kept her from completely devoting herself to the act, but this time she was close to prepared. As such, she snaked her arms around Rose’s waist, and pulled her in closer, enjoying the warmth and intimacy. The kiss itself was magical, but she was suddenly aware of all the smaller things surrounding it. The hitch in Rose’s breath. The tensing in her arms. Her almost hypnotic sway against her. It was all so overwhelming in all the best of ways.

Breaking apart to catch their breath, Juleka rested her forehead against Rose’s, saying, “So about that test…”

Rose nodded, saying, “I think we’re good.”

Gaze still locked on her lips, Juleka said, “I mean, really, how hard can it be?”

“Truly, there are so many better uses of our time.”

“Like video games. With kissing breaks.”

“Or the other way around.”

“I love the way you think.”

The next day, they both found it incredibly difficult to feel bad about not knowing anything asked on their history test. After all, it just meant they needed to take more study dates.


End file.
